Gear shifting mechanism



Jan. 26, 1937. B, MCC, TRLHTT 2,069,121

GEAR SHIFTING MECHANISM Original Filed April 28, 1934 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Jan. 26, 1937. B. Mec. TRUITT GEAR SHIFTING MECHANISM original Filed April 28, 1934 4:a sheets-sheet 2 Patented Jan. 26, 1937 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE Original application April 28, 1934, Serial No.

722,945. Divided and this application December 21, 1935, Serial No. 55,622

2 Claims.

This invention relates to an improved gear shifting mechanism and the present application constitutes a division from my prior application for a patent upon an attachment for an automobile led April 28, 1934, Serial No. 722,945.

One object of the invention is to provide a gear shift mechanism of such construction that either the main transmission of an automobile or an auxiliary transmission associated with the main transmission may be actuated through the medium of a single lever which is mounted in such a manner that it may be selectively engaged with the selector of either transmission.

Another object of the invention is to provide improved means for mounting the selectors consisting of a twin head rising from the transmission casing, the said twin head also carrying a bearing bracket by means of which the lever is mounted for movement into position for operative engagement with head of a desired selector.

Another object of the invention is the provision of a single lever carrying improved means for engaging the heads of the selectors when the lever is moved into position for cooperative engagement with the selector of a predetermined transmission.

The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein Figure 1 is a view partially in side elevation and partially in section of the improved gear shifting mechanism.

Figure 2 is a sectional view taken along the line 2-2 of Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a fragmentary View of the upper portion of the lever.

In the accompanying drawings, the numeral I indicates the rear portion of a clutch casing at the rear of which is mounted a transmission housing 2 having an extended rear end portion 3. A partition 4 separates the extension 3 from the main chamber of the transmission housing. A cover plate 5 closes the upper end of the housing and is removably secured by bolts 6 in order that access may be had to the interior of the housing when necessary. A portion of the cover plate over the main chamber of the housing is projected upwardly, as shown at l, and this portion of the cover carries an upwardly extending twin head B consisting of conical sections 9 and IIJ. Lower portions of the two sections are formed integral with each other but their upper portions are disposed in transverse spaced relation and between them they carry a bracket II which is preferably formed integral with them. 'I'his bracket extends forwardly, as shown in Figure 1 (Cl. 'i4-473) and then curves upwardly and terminates in a reduced upper portion which is threaded to receive a cap I2 and has its upper face formed with a hemispherical socket I3. Therefore, the ball I4 at the lower end of the lever I5 may be secured in the socket I3 and the lever mounted for universal movement.

The shaft I6 by means of which rotary motion is to be transmitted to auxiliary mechanism, such as shown in the application of which this is a division, has a squared end portion Il engaged in a socket I8 formed at the rear end of a shaft I9 mounted in bearings and 2| carried by the partition 4 and the rear wall 22 of the housing. The shaft I6 is, therefore, disposed in parallel spaced relation to the vehicle propeller shaft 23 which is alined with the engine shaft 24 and rotary motion is transmitted to the shaft I9 from the main auxiliary shaft 25 by a shaft 26, the shaft 26 being mounted vertically in the rear extension 3 of the housing and carrying gears 2l d and 28 which mesh respectively with the gears 29 and 30 carried by the shaft I9 and the main auxiliary shaft 25. The shaft 25 which constitutes the main shaft of the auxiliary transmission 25 forming part of my invention is mounted in bearings 3! and 32 and extends longitudinally in the housing 2 at one side of the cluster gear 33 forming a part of the regular vehicle transmission which may be referred to as the main transmission. The shaft 25 is equipped with gears 34, 35, and 36, the gear 34 being loose and meshing with a gear 3l of the main transmission to be rotated whenever the cluster gear shaft 33 is rotated, while gears 35 and 35 are splined to move .35 along the shaft 25 but rotate therewith. Grooved hubs 38 and 39 project from the gears 35 and 3S for engagement by shifting yokes or selectors 40 and 4I which are of a conventional construction. Below the shaft 25 is a countershaft 42 mounted in bearings i3 and d4 and carrying gers 55 and i5 united by a sleeve il which serves as a common hub for the two gears. The gear meshes with the cluster gear 33. By meshing the gear 36 with the smaller member of the cluster gear, the shaft 25 will be driven at low speed while meshing the gear 36 with the gear 46 will reverse the direction in which the shaft 25 rotates. If the gear 35 is put in mesh with the larger member of the cluster gear, the shaft 25 will be driven at 50 second speed While if the gear 35 is engaged directly with the gear 34, the shaft 25 will be driven in high. It will be understood that the gear 35 has both external and internal teeth so that it may be engaged with either the gear 33 or the gear 34. The gears 35 and 36 are shifted by means of the selectors 4|! and 4| and upon referring to Figure 2 it will be seen that these selectors have heads 44 and 4 I extending upwardly through the sections 9 and Il! of the twin head 8 and at their upper ends terminating in sockets 48 and 49 which curve rearwardly, as shown in Figure 1, and are open at their upper ends to receive companion lugs and 5| carried by a cross head or plate 52 formed at and projecting rearwardly from the lower end of the sleeve 53 carried by the lever |5. As the lever is mounted in the socket I3 for universal movement, it may be set at will to engage the lug 50 in the socket 48 or the lug 5| in the socket 49, and, therefore, the lever may be set to shift the gears of the automobile transmission referred to as the main transmission or to shift the gears of the auxiliary transmission. The heads 40 and 4| of the selectors extending through the sections of the twin head are mounted in the usual manner so that they may have universal movement and work through slots of well-known H-form to permit the selectors connected therewith tobe shifted to engage the proper gears and shift said gears into the proper positions. The lever is provided at its upper end with the usual ball or hand grip 54 and the sleeve 53 carries side fingers 55 in order that the sleeve may be firmly grasped and drawn upwardly along the lever in opposition to action of the spring 56 which is coiled about the lever with its lower end resting upon the sleeve and its upper end bearing against the base of the ball. A bolt or screw 51 carried by the lever and extending through a slot 58 formed longitudinally in the sleeve limits movement of the` sleeve longitudinally upon the lever and prevents the sleeve from turning about the lever. Therefore, the sleeve will be prevented from moving out of a position in which the cross head 52 projects from opposite sides of the lever and the lugs 5|) and 5| will be maintained in proper position to enter the sockets 48 and 49 of the selector heads. Normally, the lever will be disposed in the position shown with the lug 5| engaged in the socket 49 of the selector head 4| for operation of the main transmission but when it is desired to operate the auxiliary transmission, the ngers 55 are grasped and the sleeve drawn upwardly so as to move the lug 5| outV of the socket 49 and the lever then rocked toward the left in Figure 2 so that when the sleeve is` be actuated instead of the main transmission.

When it is again desired to operate the main transmission instead of the auxiliary transmission, it is merely necessary to shift the sleeve upwardly and swing the lever to the position in which the lug 5| will engage in the socket 49 when the lever is released and moved downwardly by the spring. It will thus be seen that both transmissions may be actuated through the medium of a single lever which is adjustably mounted for movement into position for engagement with the head of a selector associated with the transmission which it is desired to operate.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new is:

1. In an apparatus of the character described, a main transmission, an auxiliary transmission receiving motion from the main transmission, a twin head having companion members spaced from each other, selectors connected with the main transmission and the auxiliary transmission, respectively, and each mounted in a com--V members thereof, a sleeve slidably mounted on said lever, a cross head carried by said sleeve and projecting from opposite sides thereof yieldable means for holding the `sleeveand crossv .head lowered, and pendent lugsat ends of the cross head to engage the main transmission selector or the auxiliary transmission selector, respectively, for operating the same when the lever is rocked transversely. Y Y

2. In an apparatus of the character described,

a main transmission, an auxiliary transmission,='

a twin head having portions spaced transversely from each other, selectors connected with the main transmission and the auxiliary transmission, respectively, and extending throughV the spaced portions of said head with their upper ends projecting therefrom and provided with sockets, an arm extending from said head opposite space between spaced portions of the same, a shift lever having its lower end connected with the upper end of said arm for universal movement, a sleeve about said lever mounted for limited sliding movement thereon, a spring yieldably resisting upward sliding'rnovement of the sleeve, a cross head at the lowerV endV of said sleeve projecting from opposite sides of the sleeve:`

and extending from the lever over upper ends of the selectors, and lugs depending from end portions of the cross head overthefselectors whereby the* lever may be rocked transversely to move a selected one of said lugs into the socket .of `a cooperating selector and the selector of the `main transmission or the auxiliary transmission actuated.

BERTI-IA MCCAFFERTY TRUITT. 

